Temperature-sensitive heat control unit



May 3, 1960 w. H. HOLZBOOG TEMPERATURE-SENSITIVE HEAT CONTROL UNIT Filed May 5, 1958 FIG.|.

United States Patent 2,934,956 TEMPERATURE-SENSITIVE HEAT CONTROL Application May 5, 1958, Serial No. 733,189

1v Claim. (11. 73-368) :This invention relates to temperature-sensitive heat control units for cooperation with burners of gas cooking ranges and the utensils heated thereby, being an improvement upon the heat control unit shown in the United States patent application of Harold C. Reinhart, Serial No. 686,501, filed September 26, 1957, for Temperature-Semi tive, Heat Control Unit, subsequently abandoned.

Among the several objects of the invention may be noted the provision of a simply constructed, easily app' l icable,' temperature-sensitiveunit of the class described adapted to have its element which is resiliently engaged autensil conveniently controlled as to optimum height and contact pressure with the utensil; and the provision of a unit of the class described which is conveniently self-locking in any preferred position. Other objects and features will be in part apparent and in part pointed out hereinafter.

The invention accordingly comprises the elements and combinations of elements, features of construction, and arrangements of parts which will be exemplified in the structures hereinafter described, and the scope of which will be indicated in the following claim.

In the accompanying drawings, in which one of various possible embodiments of the invention is illustrated,

Fig. l is an enlarged vertical section through my new temperature-sensitive heat control unit, being taken on line 11 of Fig. 2; and,

Fig. 2 is a cross section taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views of the drawings.

Referring to the drawings, numeral 1 shows a flat supporting bracket conveniently located on a gas range beneath its top heaters or burner heads, one of which is illustrated in dotted lines at numeral 3. The upper end of this head 3 is generally located at some distance below the upper surfaces of the adjacent grates 5. The head 3 usually has a hollow portion 7 providing a space for 10- cating the control unit of the invention. The unit is constituted by a tubular standard 9, turned in at the top to form an inward flange 11 within which is a circular opening 13. Located within the opening 13 is a movable capsule 15, the hermetically sealed bottom 17 of which is outwardly flanged beneath the inward flange 11, as

7 shown at 19. The flange 19 is terminated by a cup portion 21 slidable in the region of the tubular standard 9 below flange 11.

' Standard 9 is provided with lateral punched-out lower openings 23, permiting inlet of air, as indicated by the lower darts 25. In its upper region, the standard 9 is provided with punched-out openings 27, permitting escape of this air, as indicated by the darts 29. When the openings 27 are punched out, tongues 31 are left, which are later bent inward under the cup 21. They are bent in after the capsule has been inserted into the opening 13 and a coil spring 33 has been inserted into the cup 21. Thus the bent-in tongues 31 provide a seat for the spring which biases the flange 19 toward the flange 1'1.

cally sealed into a passage 41 of a hollow brass nipple 43. This passage 41, through a cross passage 45, communicates with a bendable tube 47 which terminates in the usual thermostatic control unit for controlling the gas valve which supplies the burner 3.

At 49 is shown a filling tube adapted to be pinched off and hermetically sealed as shown at 51. This is for filling with suitable liquid the system 15, 35, 37, 47, and the usual liquid-filled part of said thermostatic control device; Suitable thermostatic control devices are known for the purpose and require no further description. The proper liquid fill for the purpose is also known and requires no further description;

Preferably, the coil portion 37 of the tube 35 is com-- posed of metalof -a sulficiently springy nature that this coil. portion tends also to bias the capsule 15 outward, as does the spring 33. In fact, if this coil portion of the tube is made sufiiciently hard and springy, the spring 33 might be dispensed with.

' The lowermargin 53 of the standard 9 is providedwith ears 55, extending through coextensive notches 57 formed in the margin of a thimble 59. After placement in the notches, the ears 5 5 are bent in under the thimble 59 to form a clutching or driving connection. Both the nipple 43 and the thimble 59 are threaded in such a way as to produce a threaded fit of such a nature that the thimble may be turned on the nipple to vary the height of the thimble. The fit is tight enough so that once an adjustment in elevation has been made ofthe thimble 59 its position will be maintained, but loose enough for convenient turning. The nipple 43 carries a reduced stud portion 61 which passes through a hole 63 in the bracket 1, the attendant shoulder 65 resting on the bracket. A nut 67, threaded to the stud portion 61 under bracket 1, rigidly holds the assembly in position on the bracket 1. The hole 63 is preferably placed concentrically to the axis of opening 7, so that the standard 9 will be centered therein- By means of the above construction, the standard 9 may be turned by grasping it at its upper end. This tuming controls the elevation of the top 69 of the capsule 15. The capsule 15 normally turns with the standard 9 and in doing so winds or unwinds coil 37 to some extent. If the coil becomes wound a substantial amount, slippage will occur between flanges 11 and 19. An elevation is selected which, when the top 69'is engaged by the bottom 71 of the utensil 73, will establish a clearance between the flanges 11 and 19. This assures contact pressure between the capsule 15 and the utensil under bias of the spring 33 and/or the coil 37. The result is .a reliable heat-transmitting contact between the top of the lowers itspressure and causes the thermostatic control to open the gas valve supplying the burner 3.

Among the advantages of the invention are the simplicity with which the elevation of the capsule 15 may be controlled, simply by turning the standard 9. The bendable tongues 31 for the spring 33 provide a convenient means for eflecting assembly of the capsule 15 and spring 33 before these tongues 31 are bent in. Thereafter they maintain the assembly or the spring and capsule. Also, the tongues 31 are conveniently formed when the holes 27 are punched.

p Fatented May a, 1960 It will be noted that when the capsule 15 is assembled into the upper end of the standard 9, the coil 37 will be located in the standard. At thistime nipple 43 will have been hermetically sealed to its lower end 39 Consequently, the then separate thimble 59 may be threaded onto the exposed nipple 43. The notches 57' in the .thimble may then be slipped along the unbentjears 55 until the thimble seats upon the end portions of the standard 9 between the unbent ears 55. Thereupoii the ears 55 may be bent in, to efiect a clutch, so as to com plete the assembly, ready for application to thelbracket 1. Finally, rotation of [the standard 9 effected until the capsule 15 is in proper elevated position to be contacted by the bottom 71 of utensil'73 restng upon the tops of the grates 5.

In view of the above, it will be seen that the several objects of the invention .are achievedand other advantageous results attained; 7

6- as s es changed in elevation by threading on said nipple, said standard being formed at its up" er end with an inwardly directed portion providing a passage, a temperaturesensitive fluid-containing capsule having a vessel-engaging portion extending upward through said passage and having an outwardly extending means adapted for motionlirniting engagement with said inwardly directed portion, said standard also having inwardly directed means spaced downward from said inwardly directed portion adapted to form a seat, a compression spring supported at its lower end upon said seat and engageabl at its upper end with said capsule and adapted to bias said'wesselengaging portion upward through said passage, and a fluid-containing coiled tube connected at one end por- As various changes could be made in the above consupport, a hollow standard threaded at its lower end to said nipple and extending upward, adapted to 'b e tion to said capsuleland extending therefrom within said standard, the other end portion of said coiled tube having a connection with a fluid supply passage extending through said nipple, whereby the elevation of said capsule may be adjusted by turning said standard without positively turning the capsule, spring, coil ,or .the coil connection with said fluid supply passage.

R en C d n the fi e of this paten UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,692,421 Schlusselburg Nov. 20, 1928 2,520,872 h e .Aus- 9. 19.50 2,786,930 Weber et'al 26, 1957 2,853,879 Woods Sept. 30, 1958 2,862,667 Hillebrand Dec, 2, 1958 2,872,555

Winsibw e 3 19,519 

